The Zeeland Board of Public Works (BPW) announced the appointment of Robert Mulder as the organization’s new Utilities Manager, effective September 18, 2026, following the planned retirement of current General Manager Andrew Boatright.
Mulder, who currently serves as the Michigan public power utility's Power Supply and Market Operations Manager, brings nearly eight years of utility leadership experience to his new role.
The BPW Board of Directors voted unanimously on January 13, 2026, to offer Mulder the position, reflecting confidence in his deep institutional knowledge, technical expertise, and demonstrated ability to manage complex utility operations.
“Bob’s leadership, extensive utility operations experience, and commitment to our community make him an outstanding choice to lead the Zeeland BPW into the future,” said BPW Board Chairwoman Linda Boerman. “He has a proven record of strategic thinking, operational excellence, and collaborative leadership that will serve our customers well.”
Mulder joined BPW in March 2018 following 18 years as a control systems engineer. In his current role, he oversees power supply portfolio management, including generation, procurement, transmission, and delivery for more than 7,000 electric customers with annual energy requirements of approximately 470,000 megawatt-hours.
“I’m incredibly humbled and honored by this opportunity,” said Mulder. “I look forward to continuing our tradition of reliable, responsive public utility service while collaborating with the board, staff, and community to address future growth and operational challenges.”
"Mulder’s appointment comes at a pivotal time, as BPW continues to update its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)—a comprehensive long-term strategy guiding decisions on power generation and supply to meet evolving community needs. The IRP process includes robust stakeholder engagement and is expected to yield recommendations in the coming months," the utility said.
